Family
by Goddess Trinity
Summary: This is about the RED Spy and BLU Scout's Mom's relationship.  Will the Spy survive in this relationship in which nine children are tethered to as well?  Rating may go up for later chapters, but will be T for now.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. _

_I really fell in love with the Spy/Scout's Mom pairing, so I decided to write a fiction about the two! However, it will include the Scout's family, which are his brothers. I've also decided to include my OC into the Scout's family: Her name is Sherry, the youngest out of all the children. _

_The names of the family are these: Helene (Mom, Ma, Mother, age 52), Samuel (oldest, age 34), Sawyer (age 32) Seamus and Shad (twins, age 30), Shane (age 26), Shaun (age 25), Sherman (age 22), Scott, AKA, the Scout (age 20), and Sherry (youngest out of them all, the only daughter/sister of the family; age 16). _

_Without further ado, I present to you, "Family", my very first Team Fortress 2 fiction! _

Sherry gratefully ran from the school as the bell rang loudly, glad that classes were finally over for the day. She carefully maneuvered around the sea of arms, legs, and talking as she made her way to the exit of her high school. Outside, it was just as chaotic as it was on the inside; students were trying to find their bikes or their parent's cars or trying to get onto the yellow school buses that were waiting to tow the students to their homes.

Thankfully, Sherry had a ride to and from school; it was called her Mother's Volkswagen Mini bus. She spotted it instantly in the crowd of regular, ordinary cars; it was painted powder blue and stood out like a sore thumb amongst all of those small cars.

"Hi, Mom." She said as she plopped herself into the front seat of the large vehicle, snapping her seatbelt on. Next to her sat her Mother, Helene, dressed in a baby blue dress, her midnight black hair done up in its usual beehive style. She smiled at Sherry as she pulled away from the curb, making sure that she would not collide with the traffic.

"Hi, sweetie. How was school today?" She asked simply as she came to a stop at a red light. How was school for her today?

"Same old, Mom. Nothing exciting." Sherry said with a soft sigh. She hated it whenever she asked her that question every single day. She really hated it when she asked her on the day that she had a pop quiz and was sure that she didn't do well.

"Well, maybe this will excite you; your brothers are coming over for dinner tonight, and Scott is spending a week at home. Also, I have someone extra coming over as well." She added as she accelerated, deciding to head into the left lane. At the mention of someone extra coming over, Sherry's interest was caught.

"Will I finally get to meet your boyfriend?" Sherry asked playfully. Indeed, her Mother had been seeing someone…That is, whenever Sherry wasn't around. Her Mother didn't have to worry about her older brothers; they were all grown and had jobs. Sherry had been dying to see who this mysterious man was that her Mother was seeing; he had often sent her Mother fabulous gifts through the mail; flowers, chocolates, love letters, perfume, even jewelry! Whoever this man was, he was a real lady-charmer.

"Yes, you all will meet him. He asked about all nine of you and he wants to meet you. So, tonight, I'm preparing a large meal for all of us; you know how much your brothers eat." Helene said affectionately; Sherry was the only female in the house besides her, and the youngest as well. Often, when growing up, she had to fight for her fair share at mealtimes.

"So, there will be eleven of us at one table tonight? Mom, you're doing the impossible." Sherry joked. In their household, her Mother always said "There's no such word as 'impossible'", and she meant it. Helene had raised nine children on her own for as long as Sherry could remember.

"Where there's a will, there's a way, Sherry." Helene said as she pulled into the driveway of their house. While growing up, Sherry always thought that the house had been too small to accommodate ten people; now that it was pretty much just her and her Mother, it seemed too large with its mod designs and gigantic glass windows. The lawn was kept neat and tidy, only a few bits and pieces of shrubbery and one gigantic weeping willow tree. That tree had been around since they moved here when Sherman had been born, and it had provided them all with endless hours of hide 'n seek, Adventure, and hanging out.

"I just need to ask you a favor, sweetie." Helene said as she pulled out her house key, unlocking the front door.

"What?" Sherry asked as they stepped inside. She could hear somebody approaching to her left, but she hadn't been fast enough to turn and see who it was. In an instant, she was embraced in a bear-hug, the familiar smell of masculinity and sweat filling her nose.

"Try not ta scream when ya see me." The familiar voice said as the person hugged her tightly. Indeed, Sherry did scream, but not out of fear; out of happiness.

"Scott! Oh, it's so good to see you again!" Sherry screamed as she too wrapped her arms around the young man that embraced her. The young man named Scott promptly let her go and put both hands on her shoulders, looking her over.

"Hey hey hey! Did ya get taller while I was gone?" Scott said with mild humor in his voice. Sherry nodded her head excitedly. Scott was her older brother by four years, making him the closest to her age-wise.

"Two inches! But you still tower over me!" Sherry said excitedly as Helene made her way to the kitchen to put a large roast into the oven.

"Hey, Ma! This kid, right here, just got taller by two inches!" Scott said as he gently shook Sherry's shoulder, his smile broad.

"I'm aware of that, Scott. I've had to let down the hems of some of her clothes already. Now, be a dear and take off your hat while you're in the house." Helene said as she set the timer on the roast. In ways, her voice had some tension to it, and Sherry knew why; Helene wasn't fond of Scott being a Mercenary for some unknown military group (Scott wouldn't tell them who it was; it was classified information). Scott groaned lightly as he took off his black baseball cap.

"Ma, I know. You don't hafta remind me." He said as he put it on a hook. Sherry didn't care if the tension between her Mother and Scott was tight; she had her favorite brother back for an entire week!

"And both of you wash up and change into clean clothes! We have company coming tonight, and I want you both looking your best!" Helene called from the kitchen. This time, she prompted groans from both of her children.

"Aw, Ma!"

"Mo-_ther_!"


	2. Mystery Man

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

The house already felt crowded and cramped by the time the rest of Helene's brood arrived at the too-small house. Before they had all come by, Sherry and Scott had washed up (Scott took a shower) and changed into clean clothes; Sherry was sporting a nice pink sleeveless mod dress with her favorite pair of white Go-Go boots. She had tied her brown hair back with a pink ribbon.

Sherry decided that she had avoided the rest of her family for long enough, so she decided to make her way downstairs into the living room, where bowls of nuts, chips, and dips were laid out on the coffee table. And there sat her eight brothers, all talking about something.

"I'm tellin' ya, bein' a cashier is a pansy job, Sherman!" Scott said to his brother who sat in the armchair across from him. Just that simple statement caused uproar from the rest of her brothers.

"Look who's talking, Scotty!"

"You don't even bother coming home for Christmas!"

"At least I go to college!"

"At least I'm not stuck out in the middle of God-knows-where with a bunch of _men_!"

"The best part about being a surgeon, Scotty? I don't have people wanting to kill me every waking moment of my life!"

"Ah, shaddup, all of ya!" Scott said after the barrage of insults. Sherry promptly seated herself next to Scott, taking a chip out of a bowl. She could see her brothers watching her.

"Sherry, don't you think that you're a bit…Underdressed?" Samuel, the eldest, said to her carefully. Instantly, groans were heard, Sherry's included.

"Will you shut up about how Sherry dresses? It's the style!"

"What do you want her to wear then? A flame-retardant suit?"

"Sherry, you're dressed fine, don't listen to him!"

"Why is it that every single time I'm not wearing jeans and a blouse that you have to scrutinize what I wear, Samuel?"

"What are ya? The frikin' Fashion Police?"

"All nine of you stop arguing!" Helene said, coming out of the kitchen, wielding a wooden spoon. All nine of Helene's children were silenced at the sight of the spoon; the smack that spoon gave would smart for hours if hit in the right place.

"I mean it. I don't want our guest of honor being scared away because some siblings couldn't get along. Sherry, you're dressed fine. Scott, don't insult your brothers and their careers. And all nine of you act your age!" Helene said, retreating back into the kitchen to stir something on the stove. Scott huffed as he sank back into the sofa; since he and Sherry were the youngest, they were the ones that got in trouble the most.

"So, Scott…How have you been?" Shad asked after several minutes of silence, popping a peanut into his mouth. Scott didn't answer; they all knew how he was doing.

"We missed you at Christmas." Sawyer said, reclining into his chair. Scott merely shrugged.

"I was busy, alright?" Scott said as he shut his eyes in annoyance. Sherry hoped that her brothers wouldn't crack out the traditional, "Let's interrogate Scott and find out if he's gay" card. Sherry knew from the postcards that Scott sent her that he was straight.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with a normal career, Scott." Seamus said gently.

_And here we go again_, Sherry thought dismally.

"Yeah? And how "normal" is it to be peerin' down people's mouths to see if they've rotted their teeth, eh? Just shut up, Seamus. I don't wanna put up with your crap tonight." Scott said in a tone that clearly displayed his annoyance. Sherry couldn't blame him for his annoyance; they would often remind him that his career wasn't "normal" whenever they saw each other.

Thankfully, Seamus got the hint and said no more about Scott's job as a Mercenary. Instead, he began to talk to his other brothers about his job as a dentist in hushed whispers. Sherry hated that her brothers disliked Scott's career choice; it caused so much unnecessary tension between all of them. Would they be in disagreement if she had told them of her desire to be an artist when she grew up?

"Sherry, I heard that you aren't doing so well in your French classes…Are things okay?" Shane asked. Out of them all, Shane was probably the most maternal, which annoyed Sherry to no end.

"Yeah, I just have a hard time with the pronunciation of some words. I just forget how to speak the words whenever I have to speak in front of the class." She said honestly. Sherry could smell the roast in the oven, and it just made her even hungrier. She knew that her Mother would be making an apple pie while they ate dinner.

"Say, Sherry…Can I talk to ya for a moment?" Scott said at long last, standing up from the couch. Sherry merely nodded, following her brother into the study as he shut the door.

"What is it, Scott?" She asked. Scott seemed to be…Nervous. But what was he nervous about?

"You wouldn't happen ta know what Ma's boyfriend is like, would ya? Like, what does he look like, or…" Scott began, Sherry cutting him off.

"No, I don't. Every time he sees Mom, I'm either at school or at Rebecca's house. He's always gone by the time I get back. Why?" Sherry asked, noticing the concerned look in his eyes.

"…It's nothing. Don't worry 'bout it." Scott said, shaking his head. But he couldn't shake off his nervous atmosphere, which seemed to spike when he heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh, that must be him! Come to the door, kids! I want him to see all of you!" Helene said excitedly, Sherry hearing her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Obediently, Sherry and Scott left the study, standing in a neat line from oldest to youngest at the front door. Outside, Sherry could see someone standing in front of the door, but she couldn't make out any features due to the frosted glass.

"Now, remember; behave and act your age!" Helene reminded them all as she opened the door.

Sherry could hear Scott first gasp, and then groan in agony as Helene's boyfriend stepped into the house.

"Bonjour, ma petite Chou-fleur." The stranger said in a velvety voice, kissing Helene's hand gently. Sherry could see her Mother blushing deeply as the man shut the door behind him. Next to her, Scott had tensed up greatly, a deep scowl set on his features. His hands had clenched into fists, shaking violently.

The man, as it turned out, was wearing a mask on his head, hiding everything excluding the area around his eyes and mouth. His suit was an intriguing shade of red, complimented with pinstripes. He wore red gloves on his hands, which made Sherry wonder just why this man was covered up so much. When he spoke, he had a French accent, leading Sherry to believe that he was French.

"Hello, Darling! I missed you!" Helene said as she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Scott moaned as if he was in pain.

"And I you, ma chérie." He said as he once more kissed her hand. By now, Scott's jaw had been clenched so tightly, Sherry thought he was going to crack every single tooth in his mouth.

"You said that you wanted to meet my children, so I'll introduce you!" Helene said as she went over to Samuel.

"In order by age, this is Samuel, Sawyer, Seamus, Shad, Shane, Shaun, Sherman, Scott…" When she had said Scott's name, the man had given him a…What was the word that she was looking for? A dark scowl? A nasty grin? A knowing smile? Sherry didn't know...

"And last, but not least, Sherry." Helene said, placing her hands on Sherry's shoulders as she stood behind her. The man didn't say anything, but rather, he instead produced a bouquet of red roses, adorned with white babies' breath blossoms.

"For you." He said in a smooth tone. When Helene gushed over the flowers, Sherry could have sworn she saw Scott lock hateful eyes onto the strange man.


	3. Threats and Cigarettes

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to see it, either. But what his Team had said was one hundred percent true; his Mother was in a relationship with one of his worst enemies.

Scout, at first, thought that those pictures that his teammates had shown him were fakes. But there was no mistaking it. What were the things that he was feeling when he saw those pictures? Anger, remorse, revulsion.

And what was he feeling now? Fury, hatred, disgust. His enemy was sitting at the dinner table that he and his brothers and sister had eaten at growing up, eating his Mother's cooking and smiling at her as she told (embarrassing) stories about them growing up.

That RED Spy had his Mother wrapped around his finger. When Sherry had asked him why he wore a mask and gloves, he simply explained to her that "he was burned and didn't want to show his burns off". That lying sack of shit. Of course he would lie to his Mother and his siblings; he wanted them all on his side because he was busy getting it on with his Mother. But he was not going to be fooled; this Spy wanted him dead.

"Excuse me, ma chérie, but I must excuse myself. I know how you feel about smoking in the house." Spy said with a tender smile as he got up from his space at the table. Helene merely smiled as he made his way to the patio on the other side of the house. Scout couldn't stand it any more.

"I'll be right back, Ma. I hafta go to the can." Scout said quickly as he too got up from his spot at the table and quickly bolted up the stairs before his Mother could ask why he was using the bathroom upstairs instead of the one downstairs. To tell the truth, he didn't need to use the bathroom at all; there was a balcony above the patio downstairs…He was going to get the hit on the Spy; interrogate him and threaten him. Maybe kill him if he tried anything funny.

As quietly as he could, he opened the sliding door to the balcony, perching himself up onto the banister as he heard the faint click of a lighter, the smell of cigarette smoke filling his nostrils. Below him, the Spy sighed.

"You know, boy, you could be heard coming from a mile away. You are so noisy." Spy said, his voice lined with amusement as the Scout jumped down from the banister onto the concrete patio. Spy turned to face him, cigarette carefully pinched between his fingers as Scout felt the fury building up in him.

"Why don't you leave the sneaking up to the professionals, oui? Running like a coward is more your style." Spy said as he took a drag on his cigarette, exhaling out a smoke ring right into Scout's face.

"I'm just gonna cut it straight to ya, ya backstabbin' scumbag; why the frick are you seein' my Ma?" Scout said nastily as he clenched his fists. Spy chuckled lightly as he flicked some ashes off of his cigarette, a smile playing on his face.

"Silly boy, isn't that what adults do? They see other adults who are single and need a man or a woman in their lives?" Spy said lightly, clearly enjoying seeing the Scout so angry.

"My Ma doesn't need anotha man, 'specially a sneak like you!" Scout said hastily, his voice dripping with poison. Spy merely chuckled again as he dropped his cigarette onto the concrete, smashing it with his shoe.

"Oh, but a Mother such as yours absolutely needs a man like myself in her life. Poor, darling Helene, raising nine children all by herself; raising darling little Sherry by herself." He said in a chiding tone.

"You leave Sherry outta this!" Scout spat, his brotherly instinct kicking in. If only that damn Spy would stop smiling!

"You should hear the things that your Mother says about Sherry. "Oh, darling, I don't think I'm raising Sherry right! Dearest, would you agree with me in saying that a girl Sherry's age needs a fatherly figure in her life?" It's so amusing to listen to her, boy. And I very much _do _agree with her." Spy said as if he hadn't heard the Scout tell him to leave his sister out of their conversation.

Scout quickly grabbed onto the lapels of Spy's suit, shoving him against the wall of the house, his face right up into his. Spy didn't react; he just kept on smiling.

"I've got news for you, pally; I'm gonna let everybody know just who da Hell you really are. My Ma wouldn't go for a backstabbing snake like you!" Scout said in his most hateful voice, his nose touching the Spy's.

"Now now, there's no need to get rough with me. Besides, if you do happen to let on who I really am, then there will be consequences for you to pay." Spy said softly with a chuckle. At this, Scout stopped.

"What are ya plannin', Frenchie?" Scout said, trying to hide the worry from his voice. He, however, didn't let go of the Spy.

"Oh, I know that you don't think that I'm capable, but I have no qualms in killing young children…Imagine this; the night after your darling Mother breaks off any ties with me, she goes to wake up little Sherry and send her on her way to school the next morning, only to find her gutted like a Cornish Game Hen…" Spy said softly, his voice filled with hidden malice as he grinned at the Scout. Scout's blood ran icy cold as the picture did indeed fill his head.

"Ya wouldn't!" He hissed.

"Are you so sure, boy?" Spy retaliated back as they heard laughter from inside the house. Scout wanted to punch this douche bag right in the face.

"I know that you are deeply attached to Sherry, and it would absolutely devastate you if something were to happen to her. But it would devastate your Mother even more if she knew that her youngest son's enemy was the one responsible for the death of her daughter, and that her son should have done more to protect his family from his own personal enemies…" Spy whispered into his ear, the Scout feeling his warm breath tickle the inside of his ear. Scout was trapped; if he told his Mother about the Spy, then he would be bringing his family into harms way. And if he didn't tell them, they would remain safe, but at what cost to him?

"…Alright, alright! If I don't say nuthin', they stay safe?" Scout said in defeat. Spy smiled fondly at him as he pushed the Scout off of him.

"Say nothing, and no harm comes to them. Say anything, and you'll be reading your sisters obituary in the newspaper and helping your Mother plan her funeral." Spy said as he brushed off his suit. Scout stood there, seething in fury.

"Just so ya know, you're a dirty blackmailin' bastard!" Scout said hatefully as Spy turned around to go back inside. Spy stood there for a moment before he chuckled once again.

"That's part of my job, and it's also my favorite part." He said as he went inside to rejoin the Scout's family for dinner and dessert.


	4. The way to a woman's heart

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

Once Scott and the Spy had come back (it had taken Scott longer to get back to the table; he needed to climb back up into the upstairs bathroom, which was easier said than done) Helene had just been ready to serve the hot apple pie to the rest of the family.

"Scott? Are you well? Your face is awfully flushed…" Helene said as she put a slice of pie onto the Spy's plate. Scott simply sat down in his chair, wiping sweat from his brow. He opened his mouth to say something, but he caught the look on the Spy's face, and he promptly shut it.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Ma." He said in an almost mumble. Sherry looked over at him, her blue eyes observing him carefully. Something was wrong, but she knew she shouldn't bring it up at the table; the atmosphere was tense enough.

The dining room was silent for several minutes, the only sounds being heard were the sounds of silverware upon dishes and the sounds of chewing. The silence was uncomfortable; normally, dinner was a time when the family would talk about what they had been up to.

"That was a fabulous dinner, ma chérie." Spy said, causing Sherry to jump up in her seat. It had been so silent, his voice had startled her. He was gently wiping his mouth off with his napkin, Helene smiling at him as she took his hand. Sherry heard Scott gag softly to himself.

"Thank you, Darling. I appreciate it." She said as she looked right into his eyes, filled with nothing but adoration. Now it was Sherry's turn to softly gag.

"Something wrong, Sherry?" Shaun asked from across the table.

"Just got something stuck in my throat…" She carefully lied as she took a sip of water from her glass. Spy eyed her for a moment, but then stood up with Helene and the rest of the family.

"Well, Mom, it was nice to come over, but I should get going. I have to be at the hospital early tomorrow to perform surgery." Sawyer said as he stood up, brushing crumbs off of his shirt. Sherry shook her head, smiling; even though he was the second oldest, Sawyer was probably the messiest eater in the house.

All agreed that they had to go home for the night, except for Sherry, Scott, and Spy. Coats were distributed around, kisses and hugs were made to Helene and Sherry, and goodnights were made as seven of nine children left for the night.

"Ah…It's always nice to have the family home for dinner." Helene said softly as she began to take plates into the kitchen to be washed the next morning. It was the weekend, so they didn't need to be done right away.

"So, uh…Shouldn't ya be headin' home right about now?" Scott said as Spy followed Helene into the kitchen.

"Scott! Don't be rude!" Helene scolded as Spy embraced her from behind, eliciting a soft giggle from her. Spy only stopped when he noticed that both Scott and Sherry were watching.

"Well, it's late, but if it's alright with you, chou fleur, I would like to spend the night here." Spy said with a suave tone to his voice. Sherry could practically see Scott urging his Mother to say "no".

"You know that you're always welcome here, Darling. You know where you can sleep." Helene said as she went into the living room, turning on the television. She promptly sat down on the sofa, Spy perching himself next to her as Sherry took her spot on the floor in front of the sofa, stretching out like a rug. Scott sat in the armchair, shooting death glares at Spy.

The four of them remained silent for a while, Sherry occasionally laughing at something on the screen, Spy giving the softest of chuckles as he sneakily wrapped his arm around Helene's shoulders.

"Gag me now." Scott whispered softly, his words lost upon the others.

"Sherry, it's eight-thirty. Time to get ready for bed." Helene said as she glanced at the clock on the wall. As usual, Sherry groaned.

"Aw, come on, Mother! Every other girl gets to stay up until ten on the weekends! I'm the only one who has to go to bed at nine!" She groaned, knowing deep down that she sounded immature.

"And those are the girls who are going to get awful wrinkles underneath their eyes because they didn't get enough sleep on the weekends. Now march it, Missy." Helene said in her "your mother knows best" tone. Sherry began to protest more, but Spy intervened.

"Now now, Sherry, your Mother is just looking out for your best interests. Before you retire, why don't you look in my coat pocket? There's something in there that's just for you." He said in a casual, yet even, tone. Now her interest was caught. Obediently, she walked over to where his coat was hanging next to the door. Scott shot Spy a "What the Hell are you up to" glare, while Spy gave him a "You'll just wait and see" look.

Moments later, an excited squeal was heard, and Sherry came rushing back into the living room, holding something pink in her hand.

"A beret! A real French beret! How did you know that I wanted one?" She asked excitedly, her eyes wide with disbelief. Scott could think of a few ways.

"Call it an intuition, if you will. I know that French berets are popular amongst teenage girls." Spy said, giving a casual smile.

"Thank you so much! I can't wait to show my friends!" Sherry exclaimed, running up the stairs into her room, shutting the door. Scott could hear her excited giggles from behind her closed door all the way upstairs.

"She's been asking for a beret for months now! How on Earth did you know to get one?" Helene asked in disbelief, the smile on her face broad.

"I just know the way to a woman's heart, chou fleur." Spy said, planting a kiss upon Helene's cheek. Scott seethed. That sneaky bastard had been _spying_ on Sherry! How else would he know that Sherry absolutely _loved_ the color pink or that she had her heart set on getting a French beret because it was popular at her school? How else would he have known that berets were the fad right now? Did he read her diary, which she kept under lock and key, as well?

"Well, that was very nice of you, Darling. I'm sure that you've made her very happy." Helene said, giving him a kiss. Scott wanted to puke.

"…I'm goin' ta bed, Ma." He said in a tight voice as he stomped up the stairs into his old room. He had shared this room with Sherman, Shaun, and Shane while growing up, Shad, Seamus, Sawyer and Samuel sharing another. Sherry had gotten her own room; their Mother had said that a young girl shouldn't be sharing a room with boys, that a girl needed privacy.

"I guess your privacy is goin' down the shitter, kiddo…" Scott said dismally as he flopped onto one of the bunk beds. With Spy running around in their lives, privacy was a thing of the past; whatever Spy wanted to find out, he would indefinitely find out what he wanted.

Later that night, Scott was awoken to the sounds of…Moaning? Was someone moaning in pain in the room across from his? At first, he was alarmed, and sat up quickly, about to run into the room. He only stopped when he heard the sound of music playing. He had to swallow vomit when he realized that the music was distinctly sexual, the sounds of the moaning getting louder.

"…Oh my God…" Scott whispered when he heard both feminine and masculine moans coming from the room. As quickly as he could, he climbed back into his room, shutting and locking the door as he flopped onto the bed, his head covered with a pillow as to muffle any aroused sounds.

"…Disgustin'." He groaned as Helene and Spy continued with their "late night activities".


	5. Secrets cachés

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

Spy carefully slid the spare house key that Helene had so kindly given him into the keyhole of the front door, pushing it open once the door was unlocked. Although he knew the house was one hundred percent empty, he still maintained quiet footsteps as he made his way upstairs. You never knew if someone was going to come back inside and find you sneaking around.

Quietly, he snuck into Sherry's bedroom, swinging open the door. Multiple shades of pink greeted his eyes as he looked around. Before, he had been in here, but he had only gone inside because Helene had been showing him around the house.

Today, he was here for business. Silently, he closed the door behind himself, part of him telling him that it wasn't necessary. Helene, Scout, and Sherry had all gone off to the mall, leaving the house blissfully empty. Spy liked it that way; it gave him the chance to find out all of the information that he needed.

"Now, where are you, Mon petit journal?" Spy whispered as he began to rummage through the drawers in her dresser, careful to not disturb the contents too much; if the contents were disturbed too much, Sherry would suspect something.

However, he _did_ find something of interest in the very back of her sock drawer.

"Hmm? Qu'est ce que c'est?" He asked as he gingerly picked it out of the mounds of cotton socks and stockings. It appeared to be a stack of envelopes, carefully tied with a pink ribbon.

"Now what do we have here?" Spy mused as he sat down on her bed, gently untying the ribbon. A large stack of envelopes spilled onto his lap as he began to read what was written on them. All of them were addressed to Sherry, and they were all from a man named William Hopkins. They were all already opened, the most recent letter being from a week ago.

"Now this is most amusant…" Spy said as he unfolded the letter from the envelope, reading what was written on the thin sheet of paper.

_Dear Sherry, _

_I'm so glad that you are still writing to me even after all of those months that I couldn't write to you! I'm so sorry that I couldn't write to you sooner; I had to go on a business trip to India, and I feared that any letters written to you would get lost and never get to you. _

_Anyway, I was very pleased to see that my mailbox was full of letters from you to me when I got home from my business trip! As soon as I brought all of my mail in, I sat down and started to read all of the letters that you had sent me. _

_I know that you have a hard time in your French class; I had trouble learning French when I had to go to France on a business trip. You'll get the hang of it; I promise. _

_I look forward to your next letter, sweetheart. Daddy misses you, and I hope that you'll come and visit me during the summer! _

_With love, _

_Dad _

Spy couldn't help but re-read the letter three times. So, Sherry _did_ have a living biological Father after all. He had thought that he was never around because he was dead or something simple like that. But to be alive and writing to her almost every week?

"Oh, ce ne sera pas…" He mumbled as he carefully put the letter back into its envelope, peering at the address of this "William Hopkins". William Hopkins needed to be taken care of; he would make sure of that.

Spy withdrew a small notepad and his own personal fountain pen as he flipped it open, going to the page that he had left off on.

"Tonight, I eliminate you, Mr. William Hopkins." Spy mumbled as he wrote it down, a grin playing on his face.

Carefully, he put back the letters, tying the bow back exactly the same way that Sherry had tied it in. He still hadn't accomplished his main task; find Sherry's diary.

"Now, where would a teenage girl hide her diary?" Spy pondered aloud as he peered around the pink room. It was very tidy; the bed was made, the carpets clean, not a speck of dust to be found. All of her clothes had been carefully hung up into the closet, her dresser drawers neat and orderly.

"I wonder…" He mumbled as he reached underneath the mattress, his gloved hand blindly searching around. Within moments, he had found what he was looking for, and he pulled out his prize.

"Ah, I found you, vous sournois petit diable!" He exclaimed as he examined the tiny pink book. Spy was not at all discouraged to see a tiny little lock sealing the book shut against intruders.

"Not a problem." He said as he carefully picked the lock open with one of his favorite tools; a hairpin. Although very primitive, it served its purpose well. Within seconds, the flimsy little lock came undone, allowing Spy access to Sherry's diary.

For several minutes, he leafed through the pages of girlish handwriting, bored to tears at most of what she had written. Most of it was what teenage girls wrote about; boys, music, and the girls that made fun of her on occasion. These subjects to him were dreadfully boring. Children nowadays just had no imaginations or minds of their own. It was all about the "In" crowd.

However, he did stumble upon a few entries about himself. She had often described him as the "Mystery Man", and it brought a smile to his face to see that she was indeed very intrigued to find out about him. The latest entry was from last night, when her brothers had come over for dinner.

_So, I finally got to meet the Mystery Man. I must say that my Mom really knows how to choose them. I don't know what his face looks like (he covered it up because he got burned, but I think he has a third eye on his forehead that he doesn't want anybody to know about!) but I bet that Mom doesn't really care; I can tell that she loves him and that he loves her. I don't know why, but Scott seemed to really dislike Mom's boyfriend…In fact, he seemed to __**hate**__ him. It's weird, though; why would Scott hate someone that he's never even met before? I think he's kind of nice; he got me a __**real**__ French beret, and in my favorite color too! Maybe he'll ask Mom to marry him! Ha ha! Seems unlikely, but you never know. _

_I look forward to spending time with Scott. I miss him whenever he's away being a Mercenary or whatever he does. He's the only one of my brothers that really understands me, and that's kind of sad…Maybe Scott will teach me how to hit a baseball before he goes back next week. _

"Intriguing… Oh, Sherry, I have the distinct feeling that you and I will be very de bons amis…" Spy chuckled softly as he put the diary back into its spot underneath her mattress.

It was time to go now; he had an assassination to complete tonight.

_Authors Note: For those of you who wish to know what the Spy is saying, I will translate it here:_

_Mon petit journal: My little diary_

_Hmm? Qu'est ce que c'est: Hmm? What is this?_

_Now this is most amusant: Now this is most amusing_

_Oh, ce ne sera pas…: Oh, this will not do…_

_Ah, I found you, __vous sournois petit diable!: Ah, I found you, you sneaky little devil!_

_De bons amis: Good friends_


	6. Cuisine

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

"So, he comes by again yesterday, and this time, he brings not only my Mom a bouquet of roses, but he brings me a single pink rose! He's so nice!" Sherry said as she pedaled along on her bike next to her friend, Rebecca Chalmers. The weekend had come and gone quickly, and she was on her way back from school. Her Mother worked on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the beauty shop to support both her and Sherry. On those days, she was on her own to ride her bike to school and back home.

"That's cool. I hope I get to meet him too! Well, I've got to get home; Mom will get mad if I'm late to my piano lesson again." Rebecca said as they rode up to Sherry's house. Sherry gave Rebecca a sympathetic smile; piano lessons were boring to both of them, Sherry silently thankful that she didn't have to take piano lessons.

The two said their goodbyes, Sherry wheeling her bicycle into the garage and checking the mailbox. She sighed sadly when she realized that there was no letter from her Father. _That's odd…He __**always**__ writes to me…_She thought as she let herself into the house, wondering what she was going to have for a snack.

"Bonjour, Sherry." A voice called out from the kitchen, causing Sherry to jump up and give a little cry of surprise. When she had calmed down, she looked into the kitchen to see Spy sitting at the small breakfast table, giving her a small smile.

"Y-you scared me!" She stammered, putting a hand to her heart to see if it was still beating. Thankfully, it still was.

"My apologies; I didn't mean to frighten you." Spy said simply as Sherry gave a small little sigh. He was pleased to see that she was wearing the beret that he had given her.

"What are you doing here? Where's Scott?" Sherry asked, wondering if her question sounded rude. It apparently didn't sound rude to Spy, who merely smiled at her as she sat down at the table.

"Your Mother called me to ask me to watch you; she's working late tonight, you see. As for Scott, he went out to see some old acquaintances." He answered lightly as he pushed a plate towards her. Sherry eyed it suspiciously; it was celery with peanut butter and raisins, her favorite after-school snack.

"Here, eat this. I figured that you would be hungry after school." Spy said, giving a small smile. Sherry didn't make a move to eat it, or to even touch it.

"I didn't poison it, and it won't explode. I promise." To make a point, he picked up one of the celery sticks and bit into it. He chewed and swallowed, giving her a smile.

"Delicious. Your Mother told me that this was your favorite." He said as he finished off his share of the snack, wiping his mouth on a napkin. Sherry, still eyeing him, reluctantly picked up her snack and began to eat. Lo and behold, she didn't die from poisoning; she didn't explode either.

"Well…Thanks for the snack, I guess. Guess I'll go and study my French now…" She grumbled when she finished her snack, putting the plate into the sink to be washed later.

"Would you like some help?" Spy asked just as she was leaving the kitchen, Sherry pausing in the doorway. She didn't bother to turn around and face him.

"…You wouldn't mind helping?" She questioned as she heard the sound of a chair being scraped along the linoleum surface.

"Of course not. French _is_ my native tongue, after all."

* * *

In the short amount of time that Spy had been giving Sherry lessons on how to properly verbalize the (rather simple, in his opinion) French words that she had been assigned, he had learned quite a bit about her. He learned that she hated the idea of piano lessons, her brothers didn't like her Father (they wouldn't have to worry about that anymore; not unless they decided to dig underneath his concrete patio, which seemed unlikely), she hated the color yellow, she liked strawberry milkshakes simply because they were pink, and she had a fondness for Pop music.

Later on, Scott had come home, giving the Spy his usual nasty, hateful glare as both he and Sherry sat down at the dinner table to eat whatever the Spy had made.

"…What da Hell is this?" Scott said as Spy set down a plate in front of him, and then Sherry. Strange looking meat with strange looking vegetables sat before them. Spy sat down with his own plate, giving Scott a scornful glare. Not even Sherry picked up her fork; she too stared at her plate.

"It's Moulard duck foie gras with pickled pear. Now eat, boy." Spy said as he picked up his fork, spearing a piece of the foie gras and eating it. Neither of them moved.

"I-isn't foie gras…Duck liver?" Sherry said in a horrified tone as he continued to stare at the plate. With this statement, Scott tossed his fork down onto the table, his face filled with disgust.

"Yes it is, Sherry. It's very good for you." Spy said as he glared at Scott. Scott clenched his fists as he glared back at Spy.

"What da Hell is your problem? Why are ya tryin' ta feed my sister this garbage?" Scott bellowed from across the table at Spy. Sherry kept her mouth shut.

"For your information, _boy_, this isn't garbage; it's a French dish that is both nutritional and delicious, and I expect you to eat it and like it." Spy spat at Scott. This only fueled Scott's anger.

"No frikin' way, Pally! I eat what I wanna eat, and I'm _not_ gonna eat your French garbage! And I'm _not_ gonna let ya feed my sister this trash!" Scott said, standing up and grabbing Sherry by the wrist, dragging her away from the table.

"Where do you think you are going?" Spy shouted, slamming his fist onto the table, not bothering to stand up.

"Scott!" Sherry gently protested as he dragged her to the front door. Scott gently pushed her out the front door, placing his hand on the doorknob and facing Spy.

"For your information, _Frenchie_, I'm takin' my sister to eat some _real_ food, not some fat-ass duck liver!" Scott informed him before slamming the door shut.

Spy seethed in rage. Scott wasn't going to make this easy for him.


	7. Lovemaking and Tears

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

_As of now, the rating for this story will be going up to an M-rating due to sexual content and language. _

Helene carefully balanced the brown paper bag full of groceries on her hip as she opened the door with her free hand, careful to not spill the food all over the floor.

"Hello! I'm home!" She called out, setting the bag onto the kitchen table when she went inside the kitchen. Silence greeted her as she looked around. The house was silent.

"Scott? Sherry? Are you guy's home?" Helene called out once more as she put the groceries away. All was still silent, even after she called out several more times.

"That's strange…Scott and Sherry should be home…" She thought aloud as she looked at the counter. It was only then that she noticed a folded note lying there. Gingerly, Helene picked it up and unfolded it. She smiled when she recognized the handsome handwriting.

_Ma petite Chou-fleur,_

_Meet me upstairs. I'll be waiting just for you. _

_Your Darling. _

Suppressing a small giggle, Helene quietly crept out of the kitchen, only now noticing the trail of red rose petals leading up the stairs towards her bedroom. She bit her lip as she gently swung the door open to her bedroom.

What a sight that beheld her!

The room was dark, save for several lit candles that were scattered around the room. The scent of passion fruit lingered in the air as soft, sexual music played from a nearby record player. And there in the middle of the bed was Spy, stretched out and lying on his side, the sheets on the bed just barely covering his nude body.

"I've been waiting for you, Ma petite Chou-fleur…" Spy said in a seductive tone as he gave her a look of sexual amusement. Helene stood there, a lump growing in her throat and that particular feeling of yearning growing in her nether regions.

"W-where are Scott and Sherry?" Helene stammered, lightly fidgeting on the spot. Spy's smile faded, but for just one moment.

"They went out. We have the house all to ourselves, ma chérie. And I would very much like to spend some personal time with you." He mumbled sexily, enjoying the way that Helene stood there, fidgeting. Spy could read her like a book; he knew that she would most definitely be climbing into bed with him within a matter of moments.

"Oh, I would, but…You see, I have a zipper on the back of my dress that I cannot seem to reach…" Helene said, sitting down on the bed with her back to Spy. Spy grinned; she did this every single time, and he never grew tired of it.

"Well, let me see if I can fix that…" He whispered into her ear as he gently slid the zipper of her dress down her back, revealing soft, bare flesh. Gently, he slid the dress off of her shoulders and past her body, tossing the dress to the floor.

Helene placed her lips against his as she felt his gloved hands slide down the length of her back, reaching her panties.

"Je t'aime, ma chérie" He whispered into her lips as he took off her panties. Helene merely moaned as she nipped at his neck with her lips.

"Faire l'amour avec moi en ce moment…"

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya, I promise I'll write to ya more often!" Scott said as he and Sherry walked into the house, their stomachs full with cheeseburgers and fries. Sherry was grateful to Scott; he had saved her from eating duck liver; something she had never hoped to eat in her lifetime.

"I hope so, Scott…I miss you being around here." Sherry said as Scott locked the front door. Sherry looked in the kitchen to see that her Mother had left her car keys on the counter, meaning that she was home.

"Mom might be in bed, so I'll say goodnight to her. Be right back." Sherry said as she lightly ran up the stairs. Scott looked in the fridge for a small tidbit, and he had jumped up in alarm when he heard Sherry scream bloody murder.

"Sherry?" Scott yelped, running up the stairs. He could see Sherry standing in the doorway of their Mother's bedroom, her eyes wide with terror, her mouth gaping open like a fish out of water. From the inside of the room, erotic music could be heard playing, and the shouts of, "Sherry, what are you doing here?" as well as a few choice French words that Scott couldn't understand.

"Move!" Scott grunted, shoving Sherry out of the way and running into the room to see a sight that he had hoped to never see; RED Spy naked and on top of his equally naked Mother.

"Get the _Hell_ offa my Ma!" Scott bellowed, ripping the naked Spy out of the bed, slamming him against the wall. Helene sprung from the bed, wrapping the sheets around her as she attempted to wrestle her youngest son off of her lover.

"Scott, let go of him! Let go, now! Scott!" Helene shouted as both Scott and Spy tried to push against each other, their eyes alight with fury and hatred. A snarl grew on Scott's face, his lips curling into a hateful leer.

"Both of you stop it!" Helene screamed, grabbing Scott and shoving him off of Spy. Scott fell onto the musky smelling bed, glaring up at Spy as Helene shared her sheets with him. The room was deathly silent for several minutes; the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of Scott breathing heavily with rage.

"Mom?" Sherry squeaked, standing in the doorway, breaking the silence. Scott could hear tears in her voice.

"Sherry, just go to your room." Helene said calmly, looking over at Sherry while still shielding the Spy from any attacks from Scott. Sherry didn't move, not even an inch.

"Sherry, you heard your Mother, now _go_." Spy said in a harsh tone when Sherry didn't budge from her spot. Scott looked up long enough to see Sherry flounce away, a small sob escaping her lips.

"Don't you frikin' yell at my sister!" Scott said when he heard the door to Sherry's room shut.

"Scott, that's enough!" Helene said harshly, which surprised Scott. He got up from the bed, glaring at Spy.

"Don't you think you should leave?" Scott said after several moments. He didn't expect the Spy to suddenly lunge at him, pinning him to the floor.

"I've just had about enough of your connerie, boy! You'd better get used to the idea of me being around a lot more often, and fast." Spy hissed into his ear, Helene pulling him off of Scott.

"Scott, go to your room! We'll all talk tomorrow!" Helene said in an exasperated tone, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Ma, he's not-" Scott began.

"_Now_!" Helene practically sobbed at him. It hurt Scott to hear his Mother sound like this, and he barely registered it when Spy shoved him out of the room, slamming the door in his face.

"…I'm sorry, Ma." Scott whispered as he walked into his own room, trying to rid himself of the sound of his Mother crying in Spy's arms.

_Translations are as follows:_

_Je t'aime, ma chérie: I love you, darling_

_Faire l'amour avec moi en ce moment…: Make love with me right now..._

_connerie: bullshit  
_


	8. Early departure

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

"Ma, I'm tellin' ya, this guy is no good for ya!" Scott shouted from across the table the afternoon after he and Sherry had stumbled upon Helene and Spy doing the horizontal tango. It was agreed by all four of them that a meeting after Sherry came home from school would benefit all and try to "come to an understanding".

"And how exactly do you know what's best for me, Scott?" Helene asked calmly, although there was a touch of ice in her voice when she spoke to Scott. Next to her sat Spy, maintaining a calm and collected face. Scott knew that he was dying to smirk at him from across the table, but couldn't since Sherry was facing him as well.

"Well, uh…Y'see, uh…" Scott stumbled, trying to find a way to tell his Mother that her boyfriend was a no-good sneaky sonuvabitch bottom-feeder who killed people for a living without actually saying it. Spy gave him a look that plainly said, "Remember our little deal? Don't say a word about my profession, and I won't gut your sister like a fish."

"I, for one, would like to apologize to you, Sherry. It didn't occur to me that you and your brother would be returning home so soon. I should have thought, and I would like your forgiveness." Spy said in a sincere tone, looking right at the teenage girl sitting across from him. Sherry had caught his eye, but she instantly looked down upon catching it.

"…It's okay, I guess…" She mumbled, almost going unheard as she looked down at her lap. Spy smiled softly as he took Helene's hand, embracing it gently.

"Scott…I don't know why you don't get along with him, but…It has to stop. I need to live my life, and I don't want my youngest son, my baby boy, trying to stop me from having a relationship blossom just because he doesn't like the man that I'm seeing." Helene said with sadness touching her voice. Spy gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"But, Ma…What about Sher-" Scott started, Helene holding up her free hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about Sherry, Scott. Let me worry about her. You need to live _your _life too, Sweetie. You've looked out for her long enough, and it's time for you to start thinking about _you_." Helene said, giving Scott a sad smile. Scott absolutely hated seeing the tears well up in her eyes.

"But, Mom…I _like_ Scott looking out for me…" Sherry said softly, looking up with sad eyes. It pained Scott terribly.

"Scott…I think it would be best…If you left early." Helene said, acting as if Sherry hadn't even spoken.

"Ma, you can't be serious!" Scott said, his voice cracking slightly. This couldn't be happening! Had Spy warped her mind so much that…That she thought _he_ was the bad guy? No! The bad guy was sitting right next to her, holding her hand and pretending that he was the man of the house!

"Scott, I already purchased your bus ticket. It leaves at six o'clock tonight. However, I _do_ expect you to come home for Christmas." Helene said with sad finality, wiping her eyes.

"This…This is not _fair_, Mother!" Sherry fairly screeched, standing up from her place at the table. She knew that deep down, way in the back of her mind, that her statement was both childish _and_ stupid. Life was never fair. Life always gave her a junk hand; skinned knees, hand-me-downs from her brothers, never having enough attention from her Mom, a busy Father who never saw her and who had a girlfriend who hated children, not old enough to drive and not old enough to see an R-rated film. And now she was taking away the only brother who understood her most.

"Sherry, I know it's not fair, but it's for the best. Scott tends to make you act out in a negative manner, and we cannot have that." Spy said calmly with the tone that a Father would give.

"No he doesn't! I do all of those things on my own! You don't know _anything _about me!" Sherry retorted, her eyes filled with confused anger. Scott had to stifle a snort; Spy probably knew everything about her, and then some.

"Sherry, watch your tone." Helene said, trying to avoid becoming harsh with her.

"It's decided; Scott, I've already packed your bags. Be ready to leave at five o'clock." Helene said with firm finality as she and Spy both stood up and left the table, heading into the living room. Sherry gave a soft little sob as she buried her face into the table, hiding her face inside of her arms as she sobbed quietly.

Scott sat there, listening to his sister crying. How often had he told himself that he would never make his baby sister cry? Listening to her cry was like cutting off his own thumb.

All he could do was hug onto her and try not to cry himself.

* * *

"You're doing the right thing, boy." Spy said as the two of them sat in the bus station, waiting for six o'clock to roll by. Scout hadn't protested when his Mother had said that Spy was going to take him to the station by himself. Sherry was too upset to go, as was Helene. Scout promised Sherry that he would write to her every day, and he made her promise that she would do the same.

"Shut up, ya bottom-feeder." Scout snapped as he tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. Spy smirked and continued on as if he didn't hear Scout.

"I mean it. Your Mother wasn't upset until you showed up on her doorstep last week. Ever since, she's been crying to me, asking me, "Why does Scott hate you so?" I, unfortunately, cannot tell her, as it would mean revealing my work as a Spy. Eventually, I'll tell her. But right now, the timing is bad." Spy said as he took a light drag on his cigarette, ignoring the glares of passerby who didn't approve of smoking in public buildings.

"Yeah, because that would mean no more sex for ya, ya prick." Scout snarled as he tightened his hold onto the plastic chair. Spy merely sighed in impatience.

"You wouldn't understand, Scout. You've never loved anybody the way I love your Mother. No matter how much you claim that you understand, you never really will until you've walked a mile in my shoes. But I will give you credit for this; you kept your end of the bargain." Spy said almost sincerely. Scout didn't trust him for one minute.

"Only 'cause ya threatened my sister." Scout said, turning away from Spy. He didn't want to look at him anymore; he had seen enough of him during the week.

"True, but I don't think that's the full reason. I think you didn't want to hurt your Mother as well. She's been through a lot, boy; raising nine children on her own, her youngest son going off to be a Mercenary, having a one-night stand with a man who couldn't be bothered to help her raise the child he gave to her. I honestly think that you didn't want to cause your Mother any more pain." Spy said simply as he put his cigarette out in the ash-tray that was left behind for patrons who wished to smoke.

His words; they got Scout thinking. True, he didn't want his only sister to be killed because he had let a few words slip. But had he _really_ thought about his Mother and her feelings? _Do I make her unhappy? I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time. Does this back-stabbing scum-bag __**really**__ make her happy? _Scout thought about all the times that his Mother had lost patience with her children while growing up, reducing herself to weeping in her bedroom. He thought about all the times that she had gone to work for long hours just so that she could feed her family and provide them with what they absolutely needed. And he thought about all the times that she had said, "I love you" to each and every one of her children.

"That would be your bus, boy. I suggest that you do write to Sherry every day; I don't want to see her crying because her older brother was being selfish and not writing to her." Spy said as he stood up and led Scout to the waiting Greyhound Bus. Scout cringed when he felt Spy's hand on his shoulder.

"…I swear ta God, if I find out dat you've hurt my Ma or sister in any way…" Scout began, but couldn't finish it.

"I know, I know; you'll take your Sandman to my head." Spy finished for him, pushing him towards the bus doors.

"…See ya, I guess." Scout said, knowing that he would probably be seeing the RED Spy trying to infiltrate the BLU territory in a matter of time.

"Adieu, mon lapin. Jusqu'à ce que nous nous reverrons." Spy said as the bus doors closed.

_Translations are:_

_Adieu, mon lapin. Jusqu'à ce que nous nous reverrons.: Farewell, my rabbit. Until we meet again._


	9. Letters from Sherry

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

_May 25__th_

_Dear Scott, _

_Hey, it's me, Sherry! How have you been? I got your letter two days after you left, and I was so happy to see it! It made me feel happy to see that you (might) stick to your promise on writing to me. _

_Yesterday, I had to do a speech for my French class, and since Mom's boyfriend helped me practice the night before, I passed it with an A! My teacher was very impressed. _

_I'm sorry that Mom made you leave early. I know she didn't want to, and I didn't want you to either, but I guess you and me really don't get a say in things since we're the youngest. _

_School will be ending in about three weeks! Thank God! I'm getting so tired of staring at the back of Ollie Bramble's head during class. He never takes a bath, so he kind of smells. _

_Guess what? Samuel and his girlfriend Annette are getting married next month, and I get to be a bridesmaid. Mom and her boyfriend are taking me to get my bridesmaid dress because Annette wants me to pick out the dresses (she says that she would pick out something gaudy, but I don't think its true). The wedding is going to be a small one, though. Samuel told me that you wouldn't have time to come down to the wedding, so I guess you won't miss out on much. _

_I can't wait to see what you write to me next! _

_With all my love, _

_Sherry_

_

* * *

__June 12__th_

_Dear Scott, _

_We just got back from Samuel's wedding, and it was kind of boring. Weird, huh? I thought that Samuel would have known that weddings are supposed to be fun, but he must be an alien or something. The food wasn't bad, though. _

_Mom's boyfriend kept on telling me that I was "__très mignon", which means "very cute" in French, but I think he was just trying to be nice. I got a zit on my face the night before the wedding, and I was trying so badly to cover it up. He told me that it wasn't noticeable. Yeah right. _

_But, he did ask me to dance with him during the Father/Daughter dance. It wasn't bad. He let me stand on his feet since I can't dance, and he was nice about it. I thought I saw Mom crying and taking pictures of us. I'll have to burn them when I find them. _

_Just so you know, I hope that you'll send me a present on my birthday. Just in case you forgot (I doubt that you did), my birthday is on July 20__th__. I'll be seventeen! _

_Mom's boyfriend said that he's taking all of us to Paris for a week to take a vacation from Boston. I hope that he doesn't make me eat duck liver or snails. I'd rather starve. _

_Looking forward to your letters!_

_With love, _

_Sherry_

_

* * *

__August 10__th_

_Dear Scott,_

_Hey, sorry that I couldn't write to you for a while! Mom has been busy trying to get me some new school clothes for the school year coming up next week (Nooooo!) and it's been hard because I keep on growing taller. _

_Yesterday, Mom's boyfriend told us his name! His name is Emile! How weird! It feels weird getting to call him Emile instead of "Mom's boyfriend". He __**still**__won't take off his mask and gloves for us. I guess his burns are really bad. _

_Also, thank you once again for the really cool dog tags! I like how you put my name on them and everything! Mom won't let me wear them to school, though. _

_I think that Emile is going to ask Mom to marry him. I don't know if it's true or not. You never know, right? _

_See you later, Scott!_

_With love, _

_Sherry_

_

* * *

__October 30__th_

_Dear Scott, _

_Today, Dean Ingleside asked me to go with him to the Halloween dance tomorrow! I'm so excited! I'm not dressing up in a costume, though; Halloween costumes are for little kids, and I'm not a little kid! _

_Emile is making me pack some pepper-spray in my purse! I don't know why, but he insists that I take it with me. He acts like Dean is a rapist or something! _

_Samuel and Annette just told us some news; Annette is pregnant. She says that she is due sometime in June or July. She hopes it's a boy, and Samuel hopes that it's a girl. I don't really care, either way; just so long as they're happy, I guess. Also, I reeeeeally don't hope that it's born on my birthday; I've had to share everything with everybody, and I don't want to share my birthday. _

_With love, _

_Sherry_

_

* * *

__December 1__st_

_Dear Scott,_

_I can't wait to see you at Christmas this year! Mom says that she'll be picking you up from the bus station on the 15__th__, and that you won't go back to work until after New Years! I'm so excited! I already got your present wrapped up! I'm not telling you what it is, though! _

_Emile is kind of excited about Christmas at our house. He says that he never really celebrated Christmas, and he got kind of happy when he saw Mom taking all of the decorations out of the attic. _

_Don't tell Emile, but I knit him a scarf for Christmas! I used the same color of red that matches his suit that he wears all the time. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he opens up my gift on Christmas morning!_

_See you when you get here!_

_With love, _

_Sherry. _


	10. Home for the Holidays

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

Scout sighed heavily as he crammed whatever clothes he had into a sports bag, remembering the letter that he had received from Sherry last night. Upon receiving it, he had to give a small groan; it seemed like Spy (he refused to believe that his name was Emile) now had Sherry wrapped around his finger as well. RED Spy had looked smug whenever Scout caught a glimpse of him on the battlefield. However, he just couldn't bring himself to shoot him right in between the eyes. Why was that?

"Vat iz the matter, Herr Scout?" Medic asked as he walked into the shared room. Scout never could figure out why he had to bunk with Medic; he seemed to be friendlier with the Heavy than anybody else on the team. At least he didn't snore or fart in his sleep like the Demoman. Nobody wanted to bunk with Demoman, which was good; the man was always drunk, depressed, or both.

"Nuthin'. Just thinkin', is all." Scout said absentmindedly as he rubbed his arms; even though they were in the desert, it still got pretty damn cold in the winter.

"Lügner. There iz somezing on your mind, ja?" Medic said skeptically, raising an eyebrow as he sat on his own bed. His side of the room was always clean and orderly, unlike Scout's side of the room. His side of the room was boyish and messy, and Medic had often hollered at him to clean it up.

"No, there's nuthin' on my mind, Doc. I'm fine, really." Scout lied, knowing that the older man probably didn't believe him. Medic chose to not press the matter further as he too began to pack what little possessions he had brought with him when he joined the team.

"Sooo…Where ya goin' for X-Mas, Doc?" Scout asked after attempting to stuff a pair of (possibly) dirty socks into his practically bursting gym back. Medic didn't turn to look at him, focusing on packing a pair of wool socks into his suitcase.

"I'm going to visit my wife in Stuttgart, Herr Scout. She misses me so, and I miss her." Medic said, picking up a picture frame that Scout had never even noticed before in the dimly-lit room and smiling at the image. Scout looked over Medic's shoulder to see a rather pretty looking woman sitting on a garden bench, smiling serenely at whoever was taking the picture. Her hair was a ginger color, her eyes bottle green.

"I didn't know you was married, Doc! I thought RED Demoman was lyin' when he said that he banged your wife!" Scout said, genuinely surprised at the discovery. Medic sighed softly at the mention of Demoman's drunken statements, and proceeded to take off his left blue rubber glove. He held up his pale hand to Scout's face, and Scout peered closer. There, on his ring finger, was a gold wedding band.

"Married for three years, Scout. Left the day after my wedding to serve the Team." Medic said sadly as he put his glove back on, proceeding to continue his packing. Scout was quiet; Medic said that he had left the day after he got married. Did his wife still love him, or did she get fed up with Medic's absence and cheat on him? He had never heard the Medic speak about her, and he never shared the letters he got in the mail.

"Well…Tell her I said "hey", Doc. Happy Holidays…" Scout said as he slung his bag over his shoulder. Medic grunted in reply.

"…You know, Herr Scout…Your Mutter vould have vanted you to like ze Spy, even eef he haz her best interests at heart." Medic said as Scout opened the door. Scout hung back for a few moments before shrugging. Medic's words made him feel…Strange? How did he know about his problem?

* * *

"Scott! Over here, sweetie!" The familiar voice of Helene called out to Scott as he got off of his bus. Scott rubbed his eyes; he was tired and just wanted to catch a quick nap on the bus, but found it impossible due to the amount of shaking and jerking around.

"Hi, Ma." Scott said tiredly as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big hug. She was wearing her favorite blue winter coat, and it made him feel better when she gave him that hug.

"Ooh, sweetie, you look tired! Let's get you home so that you can rest!" Helene cooed as she led him to the blue Volkswagen mini bus. The snow had started to fall again, dusting everything in a fine white powder.

"Is Sherry at home, Ma?" Scott asked as he climbed into the front seat, clicking his seatbelt on.

"Yes, she's at home with Emile, decorating the house. Tomorrow, we're going to go get the Christmas tree. We're getting it early this year so that we don't get a dead one on the twenty-third." Helene said cheerfully. Scott smiled; his Mother had always procrastinated on the purchase of a Christmas tree, and by the time Christmas day rolled around, the tree was already dead.

"So…How's Sherry?" Scott asked carefully, trying to not imagine his kid sister at home alone with a Spy.

"She's doing great! Next year is her last year of high school, and she was featured in an art show last week." Helene said, practically bursting with joy. After Scott had left so many months ago, Sherry had withdrawn from her considerably, angry with her for making her brother leave earlier than expected. With the help of Emile, though…Sherry made peace with her Mother and all was right.

"Really? That's great, Ma!" Scott said as she pulled into the familiar driveway. Christmas lights were already blinking from the inside of the house, easily seen through the large windows.

"He's going to teach me how to make Bûche de Noël, also called a "Yule Log" for dessert on Christmas." She said as she slid her key into the door, swinging it open. Scott was instantly greeted by someone in a powder blue sweater and black slacks squeezing him around the waist.

"Scott! It's so great to see that you made it!" Sherry exclaimed as she squeezed Scott as hard as she could without hurting him. Scott smiled tiredly as he hugged Sherry back.

"Hey, kiddo! You've gotten taller again! And your hair is longer, too." Scott said as he looked at Sherry from arms length. Indeed, she had grown since he saw her several months ago, her brown hair now almost down to her waist. Sherry promptly ran back to where the Spy was busy decorating the fireplace with a garland of plastic holly leaves and berries. Of course, he looked exactly the same as before; red pinstripe suit and matching balaclava with gloves.

"Hello, Scott." Spy said, using his real name instead of the usual "boy" name that he had so kindly given him. Scott merely nodded in his direction, making a beeline for his old room. He would remain civil around Spy until it was time to go back to the base. He would do it for Helene and Sherry.

"Scott, if you need to take a shower, there's fresh towels in the bathroom!" Helene called up from the kitchen as she prepared a pot of soup for supper that night.

"Got it, Ma!" He called back down as he flopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a sigh. It was going to be so damn _hard_ to be civil with a crazy assassin from the opposing RED Team in the house. But he was determined to not make his Mother and Sherry cry again.

A knock on the door interrupted his foggy thoughts as he looked up.

"C'min." Scott grunted, lying back onto the bed once more. The gentle sound of the door opening didn't faze him, but who did come into the room did surprise him…Somewhat.

"Bonjour, Scout. I hope you are well." The voice of Spy said as he closed the door behind him. Scott looked up. Spy was standing there, looking all pompous and smug.

"Whaddaya want, ya creepy bottom-feeder?" Scott said as he propped himself up on his elbows to stare at him.

"No need to be rude. I just wanted to make sure that you are still maintaining your end of our little bargain." Spy said, brushing some invisible dust off of his suit. He was always doing that, even if he was in a sterile room. It annoyed Scott to no end.

"Yeah, I remember, Frenchie. How 'bout you?" Scott asked, wondering if Spy would be the typical back-stabber and go back on his end of the bargain.

"But of course, Gosse. In fact, I've grown quite attached to Sherry. It would sadden me if I had to harm her because her brother couldn't keep his bouche shut." Spy smirked as he examined a model plane hanging up by a wire from the ceiling.

"Yeah, well dis peace will end after New Years, pally. First chance I get, I blow your frikin' head off!" Scott said as he shut his eyes, trying to block out the sound of Spy's gentle chuckle as he left the room.

"Jeune homme fou…Vous n'avez pas de courage." Spy smirked as he left, closing the door once more.

_Translations are as follows:_

_Herr: Mr_

_Lügner: Liar_

_Ja: Yes_

_Gosse: Kid_

_Bouche: Mouth_

_Jeune home fou…Vous n'avez pas de courage: Silly boy…You have no courage._


	11. The Worst Christmas Ever

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve. Sherry belongs to me._

Scott groaned loudly when he felt something land right on top of him, waking him up from his sleep. It felt like he had just been hit with the Heavy's fists.

"Wakey-wakey! It's time for presents!" Sherry practically shouted in his ear as she continued to bounce on top of him, the mattress providing some cushioning from the bouncing seventeen year old. Scott was still in a slight food coma from last night's dinner; he would be in another one tonight.

"Alright, alright! Get offa me!" Scott grunted as he pushed Sherry off of him, Sherry landing on the floor with a loud "thud". She grinned as Scott sat up and stretched. He had only been awake for roughly one minute before she grabbed a hold of his wrist and dragged him downstairs.

"C'mon! Mom and Emile have been waiting for us!" Sherry giggled as they sprinted down the stairs where both Helene and Spy were waiting near the now-lit Christmas tree. Sherry came to a sudden halt, causing Scott to pitch forward, landing right onto his face.

"Sweetie, you didn't have to drag him." Helene lightly scolded, but kept the smile on her face as Spy wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Gifts had been distributed amongst the four, Spy taking a lot of time to tell Sherry that he liked the scarf that she had made for him (even going so far as to wrap it around his neck with a smile) and Scott was grateful for the blanket that she had knitted for him; at least he wouldn't freeze his ass off in the desert at night now. For Helene; a pair of gloves that she had her eyes on for quite some time now. They had cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it to Sherry to see her Mother smile as she put them on.

"Sherry, how about you grab that one hidden way underneath there? It's from me to you." Spy said, pointing to a very small package right next to the trunk of the tree. Sherry carefully crawled underneath the tree, seizing the wrapped box. It was tied with a sleek red ribbon. Carefully, she untied the ribbon (she liked to re-use ribbons and such; it saved her money) and tore the white paper off of the box. Sherry opened the small box, something gold and glittering falling into her lap with a gentle metallic "clunk".

Scott's stomach clenched up in a knot when he saw it; round but flat, gold, the engraving of a hummingbird on the front. He had seen it millions of times on the battlefield, but he never imagined that one would make its way into his own house.

_A Dead Ringer. A mother-fucking Dead Ringer! Why on Earth would he give her one of those? _Scott thought as he stared at the small gold watch.

"Wow! What is it?" Sherry said, holding it up by a chain that was attached to it. The chain was different; this one was thicker and it looked like one could hang it around their neck.

"It's a watch, silly girl. I figured that you're old enough to have something nice like this. You can wear it around your neck like a necklace. The hummingbird on the front is special; it's a symbol of eternity and everlasting life." Spy explained as he clicked open the Dead Ringer. Scott expected to see the fancy timer that told Spy how long he would be cloaked for, but was greatly surprised to see a regular watch face, the little hands ticking away the hour.

"Thank you! I'll be sure to wear it every day!" Sherry exclaimed as she put it around her neck, looking prouder than she had ever looked before.

"Why the Hell are ya givin' my sister one of your fancy spy watches?" Scott hissed to Spy after gifts had been opened. Spy had stepped out to smoke a cigarette, Scott taking advantage of the time he would be alone with the Spy.

"I figured that it would make a nice gift for an almost eighteen year old girl, Scout." Spy said simply as he took a drag on his cigarette. Scott groaned in aggravation.

"Ya don't know what you've done! What if people keep on seein' dead Sherry's all over da place, huh?" Scott accused Spy, furious at how calm he was.

"Relax your little head, Scout. The Dead Ringer I gave to her has been broken for months. It broke after that fat buffoon Heavy sat on it one evening. I tried for weeks to fix it, but the cloaking device was beyond repair. I didn't want to throw out such a nice watch, so I had it made into a simple pocket watch. Do not fret; she will not be able to create illusions of a dead Sherry." Spy said as he exhaled a puff of smoke, smoke rings traveling towards Scott.

"…Ya sure about dat?" Scott asked, unable to trust Spy's word. After all, he _was_ a back-stabbing snake-in-the-grass.

"One-hundred percent sure, Scout. I would not be giving a child such a complex piece of technology; I would keep it all for myself. Besides, I tested it myself. Have some faith in the man who's seeing your Mother." Spy said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Yeah, sure…" Scott said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stared into the house. Sherry had dressed into a red sweater and black skirt, gazing at her new watch that dangled around her neck. It saddened him; with every letter that she had sent to him, she had been growing more and more attached to the Spy. And that was a bad thing to him.

"Just so you know, Scout; the name I gave them isn't my real name. In fact, I'm not even sure that I _have_ a real name." Spy said with finality as he stamped out his cigarette.

"Then why…" Scott began. He had a feeling that the name "Emile" wasn't his real name. But to hear Spy say that he wasn't sure that he even had a name was unsettling.

"Because I wanted to give them some ease at mind. Better to give them a name to call me than to not have one at all." Spy said as he walked back into the house, being greeted with a hug from Sherry. He gave her a hug back, a warm smile on his face.

It hurt Scott. It hurt worse than any knife, bullet, fist, or Jarate jar.

* * *

Dinner that night was anything _but_ relaxing to Scott. He gingerly picked at his food with his fork, his mind filled with muddled thoughts. He had lost against the Spy; both his Mother and sister loved him, which was what the Spy had wanted. He had robbed Scott of his family. He won the game fair and square.

The entire time, Sherry and Helene had been conversing with Spy, always interested in what he had to say. Spy acted just like…Just like a Father to Sherry. It made him sad instead of angry.

That's when he noticed it. Something glittering in the light on his Mother's finger. More specifically, her left ring finger.

"…Ma? What is that?" Scott asked, already knowing what she was going to say. _That no-good…He wouldn't…_He thought dismally as Helene smiled at him.

"Well, I wanted to tell you on New Years, but since you've seen it already…Scott, Emile and I are getting married!" Helene fairly squealed as she grasped onto Spy's hand. Scott sank in his chair, his chin almost touching his chest. He had.

Spy had asked Helene to marry him. Now Scott would _never_ be able to tell his Mother or Sherry the truth about Spy. Now Scott was trapped.

"…When?" He whispered, avoiding the Spy's eyes; he could tell that he was smirking at him. He didn't need to see him to know that he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"The week before Sherry's birthday, on July 13th. We figured that would be a great present for Sherry's 18th birthday." Helene said, glowing with happiness as Spy leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Scott heard Sherry giggle softly, and he was angry that she had known about Helene's engagement and didn't bother to tell him about it. _Aren't I supposed to know about this stuff too instead of being left alone in the dark? I'm busy fighting my ass off and trying to stop myself from shooting this bottom-feeder because…He makes them happy, and I don't want to take away their happiness again. _Scott thought angrily at the knowledge.

This was the worst Christmas of his life. He couldn't _wait_ to go back to base the day after New Years.


	12. The Secret Box

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve._

Sherry couldn't believe that the year had already passed so quickly! She had officially graduated high school with high marks, and several art institutes had seen her works and wanted her to continue her education.

Not to mention, she was now an Aunt! Samuel's wife Annette had a beautiful baby boy last week, becoming christened with the name Albert. Now…It was the week that her Mother and Emile were going to get married! However, it wasn't going to be a big, fancy wedding; in fact, they were only getting married at City Hall. Emile had said, "No need for a big fancy wedding", and both Helene and Sherry had accepted that. However, the two _would_ be going on a honeymoon, leaving her at Shane's house while they were gone.

"Sherry, can you please put these in Emile's suitcase? He won't want to forget these." Helene said, handing Sherry several pairs of scarlet socks. Sherry smirked at the sight of the socks; she just couldn't imagine Emile wearing a pair of red socks.

"Yeah, I'll put them in. Be right back." She said as she stood up from her position on her bed, plodding barefoot into her Mother's bedroom. Emile had gone out to the Laundromat to pick up some suits that he had dry cleaned yesterday, so he was not around.

"Suitcase, suitcase…Now where are you…" Sherry mumbled as she looked around the room. Funny; she had never even seen Emile's suitcase. How was she supposed to know what it looked like?

"Maybe the closet…" She muttered as she opened the closet door, peering inside. She shuffled around inside, pushing clothes back and looking on the floor. No suitcase; just the ones that she had seen her Mother use. Sherry sat on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest; where would Emile keep his suitcase?

She happened to glance up, and…There it was! It was underneath a red box on the top shelf! Grinning, Sherry stood up on tip-toe and reached for the suitcase, grunting with effort as her fingers reached for it. She grasped onto the handle, pulling it down…Along with the red box, which fell right onto her head.

"Ouch!" She cried out, wincing at the stinging pain the box had left behind for her. Sherry gently rubbed at her head with her fingertips, wondering if she was going to have a large bruise on the very top of her head.

"…What's all this stuff?" Sherry asked when she looked around for where the suitcase had fallen, noticing that several sheets of paper, pictures, and other odds and ends had fallen out of the red box that had so kindly fallen on her head. Part of her knew that she shouldn't be snooping in Emile's belongings; the other part of her was just absolutely _dying_ to see what all of this stuff was!

_Respect or curiosity?_ Sherry thought carefully for a few seconds. Curiosity won over respect, and she gingerly picked up one of the pictures. For several seconds, she was quite confused; she didn't remember getting her picture taken like this. It was a picture of Sherry…Sitting in her French class from almost two years ago, looking bored to tears as she had listened to her teacher drone on and on.

…_Why does he have a picture of this? It looks like…It was taken from __**outside**__ the school._ Sherry thought as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She picked up another picture; this time, it was of her in Gym class, hitting a volleyball. _Again? How did he take this picture? I should have seen him, but…I've never seen him set foot in my school! _She thought, her stomach flip-flopping as she picked up one of the fallen sheets of paper.

She instantly recognized the handwriting. It was **hers**. Not only that, but it was the same type of paper seen…

_In my diary. In my __**private**__ diary._ Sherry thought as she scanned through what she had written. It wasn't torn out from the diary; she still had this entry safely tucked away in her diary! It looked like it was photocopied. Sherry's heart began to thud loudly in her chest against the gold watch hanging around her neck. Part of her wanted to run and tell her Mother what she had found in the closet, and the other part of her wanted to continue with her investigation.

Once more, curiosity won, and she picked up a handful of the sheets. What she saw was enough to frighten her; school records, her report cards, pictures of the paintings that she had done and of herself, diary entries. There were even some tapes labeled "phone calls". A business card had fallen out amongst all of the paperwork, and with a trembling hand, Sherry picked it up, reading what was printed on the card.

"_**Want to earn money, but don't want to sit at a desk? Join the Team Fortress Team! If you are interested, please call 1-800-555-8326. We are not responsible for missing limbs, eyes, poor mental health, etc. Please call at your own risk." **_

Sherry looked at it again and again and again. She thought back to the day Scott had turned eighteen…He had said that he was joining…

"Team Fortress…" She whispered as she put the card into her pocket. Sherry looked around at all of the stuff that had fallen out of the box. Something fishy was going on…And if Emile had the card that had the name and phone number where her brother was at…

"…Time to give my brother a call." She mumbled as she carefully placed everything back into the box, placing Emile's socks into the suitcase. Sherry carefully put both the box and Emile's suitcase back onto the shelf, closing the closet, and walking out of the room.

* * *

Sherry had decided to wait and call Scott after her Mother and Emile had decided to go out for dinner without her (Sherry reassured them that she would be fine for a couple of hours and didn't need a sitter; she would be eighteen next week!) When she was sure that they had left, she quickly dashed into the kitchen, picking up the phone and began to punch in the number.

It rang for a few seconds, and a woman finally picked up.

"Hello, thank you for calling Team Fortress. Your call may be monitored. How may I assist you?" the female voice said, sounding somewhat nervous. Sherry could sympathize.

"U-uh, I need to talk to my brother…His name is Scott…" Sherry stuttered as she clutched the cord of the phone tightly. Silence.

"Uh, hello?" She called into the phone once more. This time, a different woman was on the phone.

"Who is this? Why do you need to talk to the Scout?" This woman sounded cold-hearted and annoyed. Sherry gulped.

"Please, ma'am! It's an emergency! I need to talk to him right away!" Sherry blurted out. Silence once again.

"Very well. Mind you, this number shouldn't be used to talk to family members. Make it quick. Your brother, Scott, is on the BLU Team, so I'll put you through to them." The scary woman said, the phone giving a click. Soft music began to play as Sherry looked around, half-expecting Emile to pop out and begin asking her questions.

"**Hello? Who ees thees?" **a loud, booming voice nearly made Sherry jump out of her skin. The phone had flown out of her hands, Sherry catching it before it hit the kitchen floor.

"M-my name is Sherry! Please, is my brother there? I need to speak to him right away!" Sherry squeaked on the phone.

"**Who ees your brother? Do you have right number, leetle girl?**" The voice asked almost kindly. The accent that it carried sounded Russian, although Sherry couldn't be too sure.

"His name is Scott! Or Scout! I don't know what you call him! Please, can you put him on?" She asked, her voice tinted with desperation.

"**Oh! You are leetle sister of leetle Scout! Hold on; I'll find leetle Scout for you!**" The voice said, finally figuring out who she had been talking about. The voice screamed out gibberish on his end of the phone, finally chuckling towards her.

"What's so funny?" Sherry asked, her heart still hammering in her chest.

"**You sound so small! You sound like teeny-tiny leetle girl!**" The booming voice laughed, the sound of the phone rustling as Sherry recognized the familiar voice of her brother.

"Alright, Fatcakes, hand it over!" Scott yelled as he wrestled the phone away from the person with the loud voice.

"Sherry? Is dat you?" Scott said, relief washing over Sherry like a tidal wave.

"Scott? Scott, please come home! Mom told me to pack some socks into Emile's suitcase, and I went to get it down, but a box of…Stuff fell out, and there were weird pictures of me and he had copies of my diary pages, and…" Sherry said in one breath, Scott cutting her off.

"Woah woah woah! Slow down there, Sher! You found…Weird pictures of ya in a box that belonged to Emile?" Scott asked slowly, his voice showing great concern. Sherry gulped, feeling nervous and jumpy.

"Y-yeah! He had my school records and all of that stuff! But here's the weird thing; he had a business card with this phone number on it! I remember you saying that you were joining something called Team Fortress, but…Why would he have that number too? Scott, I'm scared! Please come home!" Sherry practically sobbed out on the phone.

"Alright, I'm comin' home! I'll be there in 'bout three days! I have ta make the Administrator let me come home. Sherry, whatever you do, don't bring this up to…Emile. Don't bring it up to Ma, either. Whatever ya do, just keep ya mouth shut! Don't call this number again; chances are, he's bugged the phone-line too, that rat-bastard…" Scott growled, causing Sherry to worry even more.

"Scott…Please hurry!" Sherry whispered fearfully as she strained her ears for any indication that her Mother and Emile were home.

"Sherry, just be careful. You'll be okay." Scott said as the phone clicked, signaling the end of their conversation.

All she could do for now was wait it out.


	13. The Jig is Up and Secrets are Revealed

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve._

_Prepare for a very, very, VERY long chapter.  
_

Sherry wrung her hands together as she sat in the hard chair at City Hall. She was wearing a nice dress and sandals, since it was still quite hot, but she was sweating nervously not at why she was there; she was sweating because of what she _knew_.

She figured that their phone-lines weren't bugged, since several days had passed since her secret phone call to Scott; Emile had acted just the same as usual; friendly towards her and romantic towards her Mother.

But Scott hadn't arrived yet. It had been three days since she called him, and there was still no sign of him. Sherry hadn't _dared_ to set foot in her Mother's room again; she was afraid of seeing the box again, knowing what terrible and frightening things were inside of it. Things that she should have never known about, yet she knew of their existence.

Last night at dinner, she must have been more nervous than usual; her knife and fork kept on clattering against her plate loudly as her hands shook, and her Mother had asked if she was feeling okay. Sherry had managed to squeak out a "yes", but her Mother hadn't been convinced. Helene had held a hand to her forehead, telling Sherry that she should go to bed for the night, worried that she was coming down with something.

Emile had come into her room late at night as well, waking Sherry up with his entry. He told her that her Mother had wanted him to check up on her, and had told her to go back to sleep.

She hadn't slept a wink after he left her room. Sherry was afraid of him coming back inside, demanding to know why she had been snooping around in his box. He never did, but she made sure to stay awake until her Mother came in to wake her up.

A hand touched her shoulder, Sherry jumping up and crying out in alarm. She looked up to see Emile, his face looking worried.

"Excusez-moi, Sherry. Are you feeling alright? You've been acting nerveux for several days now…Is there something bothering you?" Emile asked lightly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze and a small smile. Sherry wanted to spill everything to him; ask him why he had those pictures and her diary entries, and apologize to him for snooping into what wasn't hers to snoop in.

_Sherry, whatever you do, don't bring this up to…Emile_ Scott's words rang loud and clear in her mind, and she promptly bit her tongue.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine. Just…Nervous about getting a step-dad, is all…" She mumbled, looking down at her feet. Emile paused for a moment before slipping her a comforting smile.

"It must be a grand changement for you. But I promise you, you will be treated with much love and respect from both your Mother and I." Emile said as the judge called the three into his chambers.

Sherry barely thought as Helene and Emile both led her into the judge's chambers. But one thought _did_ ring out in her mind:

_Scott, where are you? _

_

* * *

_"Dammit, dammit, _dammit_!" Scott hissed as the bus moved excessively slow to the bus station. It seemed that time was against him as the bus slowed to a creeping crawl. He had been running late leaving the base; the rest of his team had been questioning him, asking him where he was going in such a hurry. He, of course, only relayed why he had to depart so suddenly to the Administrator (who's face he still hadn't seen) who, with much reluctance, allowed him to leave with the promise of his return.

"C'mon, dude! Can't ya go any faster?" Scott hissed as the bus pulled to the side of the bus station. The driver gave a small cough and pointed to the small deposit box. Scott, being in a big hurry, hastily tipped the driver ten dollars, completely ignoring him as he shouted at him to give him his change.

"Keep it, ya snail!" Scott yelled as he took off running, pacing himself as he ran towards the city. If there was a cab around, he would have taken one, but you didn't find cabs around here that often. He mentally kicked himself for not calling for one in advance, but live and learn.

He just needed to hurry the Hell up to City Hall before his Mother accepted a permanent kiss from that Spy.

* * *

_Goddamnit, Scott! Where the Hell are you?_ Sherry screamed in her head as she saw both Emile and Helene begin to sign their marriage certificates. Scott only had maybe ten minutes before their civil marriage was final. One kiss would seal the deal.

She writhed in her seat when she saw Emile look over at her, giving her a reassuring smile.

They said a bunch of words that Sherry didn't care to listen to. The only thing on her mind was the fact that _her brother wasn't freaking here yet!_

_Scott, hurry up! They're about to do the "I do's"! _She said, knowing that she didn't have telepathy.

But it was worth a try.

* * *

Scott thought as his shoes slapped at the sidewalk, people stopping to stare at him. They most likely wondered where a young man such as himself was running off to.

He didn't care.

Scott managed to knock an old lady into the street, not listening to her squawking at him like an ancient parrot about him "not having manners".

He didn't care.

He heard a man call out to him, "Hey, son! Where's the fire?" in a seemingly friendly and joking manner as he sprinted past him.

He didn't care.

What kept him going was the knowledge that Sherry had found evidence that told her that Emile was a Spy. That, and she probably figured out that they both worked for the same group; just in different teams.

_Ma, just don't kiss him! If you kiss him, you're kissing a dirty-rotten snake!_ Scott thought as City Hall came into view.

He was growing tired, but he had to keep going! But it was so close, yet so far away…

* * *

"You may now kiss the bride." The judge said warmly to Emile. Sherry could feel herself shaking her head in protest, her voice frozen as she watched Emile lean in close to Helene's face. He murmured words that Sherry couldn't hear, and then…

Their lips were brought together, the small audience in the room clapping softly as Sherry sank in her chair, defeated.

Emile was now her step-father. There was no going back. Scott had let her down. He was too late.

"Sherry, I just…Sherry, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Helene asked as she stooped to Sherry's level. Sherry hadn't noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. Helene's warm hand touched her cheek as small snuffling noises escaped Sherry's mouth.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Helene asked once more as she placed both hands on Sherry's face. Sherry flung herself out of her chair, ignoring the small cry of surprise her Mother released as she dashed from the judge's chambers.

She found it difficult to breathe past her crying and running. She only stopped running when she collided with Scott in the hallway.

"Sherry? Sherry, did I…" Scott began, but stopped upon seeing the big, fat tears falling from Sherry's eyes and down her cheeks.

"B-brother, I-I…" Sherry gasped out, but promptly began to wail loudly as she buried her face into his chest, staining his blue shirt with dark blue spots. Scott grasped onto Sherry tightly as she wept bitterly.

"I'm sorry, kiddo…I'm so sorry…" Scott murmured into her hair as people walked past them, trying to not stare at them.

"I-I-I tried t-to stop h-him, b-b-b-but I c-c-c-c-c-couldn't!" She sobbed into his chest, her words stuttering and slightly muffled.

"Scott? Scott, what on Earth are you doing here?" Helene questioned as she came sprinting up to both Sherry and Scott, Emile following closely behind her. Scott chose to not answer her, instead focusing on trying to comfort his sobbing sister.

"Sherry, Baby, what's the matter?" Helene asked as she rubbed Sherry's back. Sherry either ignored her or didn't hear her over her crying, for she failed to acknowledge her. Emile glared at Scott as he began to open his mouth. He was rewarded with him shutting his mouth.

"She's had a very taxing week, Ma Petite Chou-fleur. It's so much for one teenage girl to take in in such a short amount of time. Perhaps it would be best for her to go home with Scott…" Emile said, giving Scott a glare that clearly said, "I can trust you to not say anything, but say a word, and your ass is grass".

"I don't know…She seems pretty upset…Maybe I should be with her…" Helene said, her tone hesitant as she glanced back from Scott to Sherry to Emile.

"No, Ma. She just needs ta be left alone." Scott said as he led his still-crying sister away from the newly-wed couple.

When he was sure that they couldn't see him anymore, he too let out a few tears.

He had failed.

He had failed Sherry and he had failed his Mother.

And failing really _sucked_.

* * *

Eventually, when they both had (somehow; neither of them knew how) gotten back to their old house, Sherry had calmed down a bit.

When they were sure that they were alone, Sherry showed Scott the box and its contents. She had never seen him angrier than he was now.

"Sherry, it's time that I told you Emile is. I have to trust you that you will never ever _ever_ say a word to anybody about what I'm about to tell you. If you do…Then you'll be in serious trouble. And when I say serious, I mean "life-threatening"." Scott began. Sherry nodded, giving him a pinky-swear. That was a fairly memorable child-hood code; if they pinky-swore on something, then it would never be revealed. And they both had never revealed their pinky-swears.

"Emile…His name isn't Emile. In fact, even he doesn't know his name. We all just call him…_Spy_. We both work for the same organization, but he's on the opposing team. He's on the RED Team while I'm on the BLU Team. Everyday, RED and BLU fight each other. Spy is one of the cleverest members of our team. He can disguise himself as other people, can turn invisible, and…He's a real murderer. I think he managed to get those pictures of you while he was cloaked, which is why ya couldn't see him. He doesn't have burns at all; he can't reveal what he really looks like to anybody. All those times that he was super nice and knew exactly what ya liked or wanted? He spied on ya and found these things out." Scott said as he sat down on the floor with Sherry. Her face was one of disbelief.

"So…He's really a Spy?" She questioned softly as she rubbed her temples. Scott nodded slowly, feeling horrible that he had to reveal this information to her.

"Yeah…That's why I didn't want him and Ma getting' together. He…He told me that if I told her the truth about him..." Scott refused to finish his sentence. He couldn't get himself to finish it.

"I understand. Scott…We never can tell Mom the truth, can we?" Sherry asked softly, Scott nodding once more.

"…Scott. What I'm about to ask you might be crazy, but it's what I want. And I don't want it until I turn eighteen in five days." Sherry stated as she looked at him, her eyes determined.

"Whaddya want?" Scott asked, intrigued at what she wanted to request him. Sherry took a deep breath and looked him right in the eyes.

"I want to join Team Fortress."

_Translations are as follows: _

_Excusez-moi: Excuse me_

_nerveux: Nervous_

_grand changement: great change_


	14. Goodbyes Are Not Forever

_Author's Note: I do not own any of the "Team Fortress 2" characters or locations. This is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not looking to profit off of this piece of fiction. All characters/locations belong to Valve_

Helene and Spy practically tumbled into the house, both laughing happily. They had gone off on their honeymoon, and now Helene was looking forward to spending some much needed time with her now eighteen year old daughter.

"Sherry! Sweetheart, we're home! Where's my birthday girl?" Helene called out as Spy dropped their suitcases near the stairs. Silence greeted them. In fact, it seemed like the house was completely empty.

"Sherry? Honey, where are you?" She called out, looking in the kitchen and the living room. Spy's eyebrows furrowed; where _was_ Sherry?

Helene walked up the stairs and checked her bedroom. The first thing that she saw was a white envelope sitting on the bed. Helene gingerly picked it up and opened it. Inside was a letter, the childish scrawl familiar; it was Sherry's handwriting.

_Mom, _

_By the time you get this letter, I'll have already left with Scott to join him in his being a Mercenary. I'm not allowed to tell you where the location is, and I won't be able to write to you for at least a month since I'll be training, but once I'm allowed to write to you, I'll send you letters every day! I promise! _

_Just to ease your mind, I chose this because I need to find some things out for myself. It wasn't anything that you did; none of this was your fault. Just understand; this is what I want. If I don't find out what I want to know within a year, then I'll come home, no questions asked. I'll promise to do whatever you want. Just don't write me letters begging me to come home, because I won't. _

_I hope that you and Emile are okay. Hope you had a great time on your honeymoon. _

_I love you so much, Mom. Scott will take care of me. _

_With a heart full of love, _

_Sherry_

Spy had just been inspecting the kitchen when he heard an agonized howl from upstairs. He recognized it as Helene, and he sprinted up the stairs. He dashed into the bedroom, where Helene sat on the floor, howling with broken and agonizing sobs as she clutched a sheet of white paper in her hands. Spy took the sheet from her hands and red it over with blue gray eyes.

…_I can only hope that you're on the RED Team, Sherry._ He thought as he read the letter over and over again.

* * *

Sherry glanced out the window as the train sped past a vast and wide desert, her blue eyes looking somewhat sad and tired.

"Ya gonna be okay, Sher?" Scott asked as he sat across from her, his hat lying next to him on the seat as the train gently rocked back and forth. They were the only two on the train, so they didn't have to worry about keeping their voices down.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It was my choice, after all." Sherry said as the train continued onward. It had taken Scott a very long phone call to his boss, explaining that his sister wanted to join Team Fortress, and she had finally relented, telling him that "she was his responsibility" and had signed her up for the Builders League United (or simply known as BLU Team)

Sherry quietly reached into her pocket and withdrew something small and metallic that dangled on a chain. She let it dangle in the air in front of her, the silver turning a strange metallic orange as the setting sun glared through the windows.

They were the dog tags Scott had given her for her birthday so long ago. Now she had an excuse to wear them.

"_We have reached our destination. All new recruits should report to the Registration office immediately."_ A voice over the intercom called out as the train slowed to a halt.

"Sherry…Welcome to Team Fortress."

_This is not the end…_

_Just merely the beginning. _

_I hope you all have enjoyed reading the story "Family"! I had so much fun writing it! But fear not; I'm already working on the sequel! _

_I want to thank every single one of you who reviewed my story! Many thanks to you! I hope you look forward to the sequel! _


End file.
